How to Prepare for Wisdom Tooth Extraction

Interestingly, our jaws don’t get to grow big enough to allow the full emergence of wisdom teeth and this can potentially cause major dental problems for the rest of the mouth at some point. Generally, most adults are likely to have their wisdom teeth extracted at some point, primarily due to a number of oral-related problems. For instance, in order to fully emerge from the jaw, wisdom teeth forcefully push the third molars, resulting in damage of the second molars.

Overall, most dentists usually recommend wisdom teeth extraction before they morph into a serious dental problem that requires surgery. With this in mind, it would be in your best interest to learn all you can about the procedure beforehand, so as to guarantee faster recovery. Here’s all you need to know about extraction of wisdom teeth.

Preparing for the big day

Most people don’t know this, but it takes a lot of preparation for any form of dental surgery. For instance, you’ll need to have someone drive you home if your dentist uses general anesthesia due to the serious side effects ranging from mild headaches to nausea. If so, avoid eating or drinking a couple of hours to the surgery for obvious reasons. Finally, try to find out the prescription medications you can take and those you shouldn’t prior to the day of surgery.

Controlling the pain

Most dental procedures are to varying extents painful, meaning you want to carry some pain relief medication and a cold ice pack to soothe the effects of wisdom teeth extraction. Ask your dentist to prescribe pain medication a day before surgery so that you can avoid going to the pharmacy when still dizzy following the procedure. You can also purchase over-the-counter pain relief medication if you don’t have a prescription and in dental circles, the stronger options are always better.

Resting and recovery

As with any other form of surgery, you will have to rest after extracting your wisdom teeth. Prior to the procedure, ensure you’ve curved out a comfortable resting area at home with some form of entertainment such as a TV. The comprehensive effects of anesthesia can take up to a whole to wear off; not to mention the swelling and bruising.

Essential Tips for Quick Recovery:

As earlier mentioned, the side effects of anesthesia can be serious depending on a number of factors. In most cases, you will likely feel uncomfortable performing normal duties due to the lingering hangovers. Be sure to take time off school or work to ensure fast recovery.

Also, avoid consuming hard foods that require heavy chewing. Such foodstuffs not only promote swelling, but bruise the treated part making it hard to heal in timely fashion. Before going for wisdom tooth extraction, make sure you are stocked on soft edibles such as porridge, yogurt and applesauce just to mention a few. It may take a while before you completely recover, so don’t be in a hurry to get back to your normal routines.

Welcome to A Nation of Moms! I'm Marysa, a busy mom of two girls, and our family lives in Upstate NY. I juggle work, the kid's activities, family life, running a Girl Scout Troop, and blogging! We love the great outdoors, vegetarian food, camping, travel, swimming, reading, and more.. plus sharing our experiences on the blog!